Iecava Manor Park

Iecava Manor Park – Green Labyrinth

Client: Iecava Municipality
Program: Development concept of Iecava Manor Park; reconstruction of the former manor house as the Green Labyrinth
Project: 2020–2021
Realisation: 2022–2024

Project Description

One of the most significant cultural assets of the town of Iecava is its historic park, created between 1795 and 1800 alongside the construction of the manor house. Designed in the English landscape garden style, the park — together with the manor ensemble — is a national architectural monument of Latvia.

Today, the Iecava manor complex survives only in fragments. The main palace was destroyed by fire in July 1915 and never rebuilt. However, several important structures remain: the palace library wing, granary, stables, gatehouses, laundry house, and a masonry bridge over the Ģedule stream.

To transform the park and its ensemble into an attractive cultural and tourism destination, a new vision was developed: rather than rebuilding the palace in stone, its former footprint and room layout have been reinterpreted in living form. By 2024, the palace outline was recreated as a hedge labyrinth on the historic site of the building. As the hedges grow and are shaped, the reconstructed plan of the palace becomes a unique spatial installation — the Green Labyrinth.

In collaboration with Italian studio AOUMM.

Historical Background

In 1795, Count Peter von der Pahlen received the Lieliecava manor as hereditary property and began the reconstruction of the estate and park. Although precise records of the palace's construction and its architect are lacking, documents suggest it was built between 1801 and 1807, possibly designed by Johann Georg Adam Berlitz, with contributions from Severin Jensen.

Photographs and early 20th-century surveys provide insights into the palace's appearance: a central two-storey block with seven bays, flanked by single-storey wings, a monumental Ionic portico with stairs, and richly articulated rear façades that gave the building a rare complexity in Latvian manor architecture.

Performance & ROI Highlights

  • Energy Efficiency: The project focuses on ecological landscape regeneration rather than high-energy construction, ensuring a sustainable long-term solution with minimal environmental footprint.

  • Material Reuse: The Green Labyrinth incorporates natural elements such as timber, clinker brick, and corten steel, blending contemporary materials with historical references to create a resilient and symbolic reconstruction.